


Snow Drifts

by rubyisms (orphan_account)



Category: RWBY
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-04
Updated: 2016-03-01
Packaged: 2018-05-11 16:37:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5633659
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/rubyisms
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For months, Qrow Branwen has been plagued by mysterious and cryptic dreams of a mysterious woman in white. In his waking reality, he is an undercover double agent for Ozpin, posing as Cinder's loyal lapdog, good for keeping her bed warm on lonely nights.</p><p>When he meets Winter Schnee, his dreams become a waking reality as he's forced to watch as everything he knows and loves slowly crumble and fall apart.</p><p>But in the end, he still has a choice.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

_Pain. Excruciating pain flooded his veins, swirling up his arm and crawling across his shoulders. It felt like his shoulder blades were on fire as he heard the sound of bones cracking, twisting and morphing as slowly  the burn faded away to a dull throb. He could see flames licking at the white rose bush that lurked nearby._

_Yet all he was focused on was the woman who he could see through blurry vision. Her back to him, all he saw was white. His lips open to yell to her, yet no sound came out. Before his vision faded to black, he saw another woman take her place. She was much closer and her hand caressed his cheek, yellow eyes making their way through the blur. ‘Wake up.’_

Rust red eyes awoke to darkness and a beeping alarm clock, a pale hand fumbling in the darkness to hit the alarm button. Every night it was the same dream. The unbelievable pain spreading from his arm across his back, the woman with white hair, and the dark haired woman who told him to wake up. It was enough to drive a man mad.

But unfortunately, Qrow Branwen was a man who reached the point of madness years ago. Beginning with the mysterious disappearance of his teammate, and sister, Raven Branwen, followed by the death of another teammate, watching his remaining teammate break down.. It seemed to happen in rapid succession, one after another. The only bright spot in his dark life were his nieces, whom he helped raise after the death of Summer. But eventually the girls reached maturity and he wasn’t needed anymore.

That’s what brought him to where he is now. Sleeping in inns as he made his way across Remnant, he was on a journey to rediscover who he was. Even if that journey lead to him damaging himself in the process.

He remembered the day she approached him. A mysterious, sexy figure who gave him a choice to go on about his way or aid her in her personal vendetta to gain power. Something about her took him back to the time he saved Amber from the attack where her powers were taken away. It was that assault that lead him to continue exploring the world, in hopes of finding her attacker.

And he was convinced the figure in front of him was the attacker. Naturally, Qrow did what any smart Huntsman or Huntress would do in that situation. He said yes. A decision that would haunt his waking moments and plague his dreams with the figure who was slowly corrupting his soul.

As he got up, hitting the alarm clock once more, he looked over at the sleeping figure next to him. How did he end up in a situation where he was sleeping with the enemy? He only “joined” her cause to learn more about what exactly she was doing. Ozpin knew, and Qrow made sure of that. Why was Cinder keeping him around when they both knew this? She was the woman who attacked the maiden and he was the Huntsman who severed the connection. He knew that and she knew that. Yet here he was, alive and well as he gathered his clothes from the floor.

The chilled fingers on his back made him freeze immediately. “Where are you going?” Her voice was like poisoned honey. Sickly sweet, yet deadly.

“You know where I’m going, Cinder.” He grumbled, pulling his pants on first, ignoring how her fingers danced up his spine, one by one. It felt so good, yet this meant nothing to him. Every night spent in her bed, every moment with her made him feel dead inside. And here he was, coming back to her every night for comfort. Was it truly for comfort or did he miss a woman’s touch so much, he’d turn to even the most despicable woman alive for it?

“So soon? I thought you’d stay a while.” She purred in his ear, the fingers creeping up his spine now resting on his chest. “We could even have some fun.”  
  
“I’ll pass.” His free hand grabbed hers, pushing it off it’s location on his chest. Slowly he stood, gaining an awkward balance as his feet settled onto the floor.  
  
There was a small noise of dissatisfaction from her as he pulled on his shirt, fingers quickly buttoning up the shirt and falling to his sides. Vision still blurry from waking up, Qrow’s eyes scanned the floor, silently swearing under his breath before hearing her throat clear.  
  
“Looking for this?” He turned, getting a better look in the dark as his eyes adjusted, seeing the dark red cape wrapped around Cinder’s body. He took a moment to notice how the color of his cape contrasted against the color of her skin, yet in a nice way.

“Give it back.” He growled, reaching out to grab it only for her to jerk away from his hand, fingers barely brushing the soft material.

“If you want it, you know what to do.” And he did. But was he really willing to give her what she wanted? To give in so easily to her demands? He was Qrow Branwen who took orders from no one but himself. But here he was, on top of the woman as he removed his cape from her body. A lump formed in his throat and a sickening feeling settled in his stomach as her fingers on one hand curled on the back of his neck, the others teasing the zipper of his pants.  
  
“Don’t be gentle.” She cooed, to which he grabbed her hands, pinning them above her head, teeth bared and a growl in the back of his throat

"I won't be."


	2. Chapter 2

“You’re late.” A formal, smooth voice came from behind him, making Qrow roll his eyes.

“I got caught up in a situation, Jimmy.” Subconsciously, his hands went to his shirt, making sure there wasn’t a button out of place. He heard a soft huff and could practically feel the general’s stare burning through his back. Slowly, he walked towards Ozpin’s desk, his mind drifting back to earlier that morning with Cinder. He didn’t have time to linger on the memory, coming to stand in front of Ozpin.  
  
“Qrow?” There was concern written in his expression, which Qrow found himself struggling to break away from. “Is everything… going well?”

“With the infiltrator?” He questioned, noticing the patient look from the headmaster. With a sigh, he reached for his flask, turning away. “Same as last time.” His fingers uncapped the brown flask in his hand and he took a drink from it.

There was a moment of silence, then footsteps as Ironwood started to pace. “Then we should change what we’re doing now. If we’re not getting results--”  
  
“We’re getting results!” Qrow turned back around, tucking his flask back into his back pocket. “Sure, they’re slow results, but I’m still getting somewhere. Much further than you could anyway.” He smirked at the general, before he turned to Ozpin. “Look, Oz. Just give me one more week. I can promise you by the end of next week, she’ll be putty in my hands and will practically be shoving her plans down my throat.”

The headmaster folded his hands, eyes closing in thought before opening once more. Qrow felt his throat close up as Ozpin’s gaze fell on him, flickering briefly to Ironwood before falling back on him.

“I will allow you to have one more week to obtain important information from this woman. However, if by the end of next week, you have nothing of use, then James can take over.” Qrow’s throat finally opened back up and he began to breathe again as the headmaster sat down.

“What exactly _is_ your plan, Jimmy?” In a taunting tone, Qrow turned to look at the general who was fixing himself a cup of coffee. Almost as if on cue, the elevator door opened, Glynda stepping out with a slightly shorter woman behind her.

“I’m glad you asked, Qrow.” With an equally smug tone of voice, Ironwood turned to face him and gestured to the young woman who walked off the elevator in such a formal manner, she had to have been part of the Atlesian military at some point in her life. “Meet Winter.”

Leaning back on Ozpin’s desk, Qrow raised an eyebrow as he studied her closely. She stood with her arms behind her back, just as stiff as Ironwood often stood. What really grabbed his attention was the white clothing she wore and her just as white hair. Briefly his mind went back to the white woman in his dreams who he always tried to yell out to. The one who seemed so far away and was always blocked by the woman with yellow eyes. Slowly Winter brought her gaze towards him and he felt the room spin slightly as her eyes met his. There was something about them that he couldn’t place a finger on that made him feel much more vulnerable than Cinder ever made him feel.

Just as quick as the dizzy feeling hit, it was gone and he straightened up. “So.. You brought some chick in to get information from the same woman who-” Ozpin shot Qrow a warning glance before he gave away Amber to the newcomer. He had no idea how much Winter knew and didn’t want to risk giving anything important away.

“Not exactly.” She spoke and Qrow’s knees went weak the moment her voice filled the room. Slowly she walked over to him, eyes scanning him. The same vulnerable feeling he felt before when her eyes met his filled him once more. “You see, you’re flirting and playing with fire.” Her lips curled upwards into a smile, taunting him. “And you know what happens when men play with fire?”

For once, he was silent. A witty comeback was brewing in his mind, yet he held his tongue, staring her down with a defiant look. The silence in the room was deadly, yet not enough at the same time.

“They get burned.” As quickly as the moment came, it was gone, Winter walking away. “I’m here to get results. Something you seem to be struggling with.”  
  
“I’m _not_ struggling.” He protested with a growl.

“Then how come after months of sleeping with the enemy, you don’t even have her name?” She snapped back, turning sharply on her heel.

Qrow stiffened as all eyes turned on him and his gaze fell down. “.. Cinder Fall.”

Ozpin’s eyes went wide at the words to leave Qrow’s mouth. “You knew?” He spoke calmly, and with the calmness was a gentle disappointment. Not fury, which radiated off of Ironwood in waves, but disappointment. “And never told us?”  
  
“Look, Oz. You gotta trust me on this. She’s dangerous.” He turned around to face his longtime friend, almost pleading with his eyes. Another period of silence followed, yet this one was brief as Ozpin stood up, turning to the three people in the room besides the two of them.

“Leave us.” He spoke calmly. Glynda was the first one to walk out, followed by the general. Winter lingered a moment longer, turning her head back to look at Qrow. Her expression was hard to read, yet her eyes were soft and gentle. His teeth sunk into his lower lip softly as she broke the eye contact yet again and left the room. With the distractions gone, he turned back to Ozpin.

  
“Now tell me, Qrow, everything you know.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> trigger warnings for:   
> general abuse  
> domestic violence   
> a character having a triggered response

_It was cold. His eyes opened to a clear blue sky and for once, he felt at peace, whereas in the waking world, he felt an inner turmoil as he tried to do what was right, all while damning and corrupting his soul. It felt strange to be at peace with himself here, but it was a welcome change. Slowly, Qrow began to sit up, blinking through the blurriness of his vision._

_There was a light layer of snow dusting his clothes, snow drifts built up around him on all sides, and he could hear a soft giggle behind him._

_“Good morning, sleepyhead.” It was a lighthearted, playful chirp from behind him, and soft, cool hands rested on his cheeks. “I thought you’d never wake up.”_

_Her voice was so familiar but for some reason, he couldn’t put his finger on it, only leaning into the gentle touch of her hands. Something about it was intimate, something he knew at one point but had long since forgotten. It was a pleasant feeling and he never wanted it to end._

_“Qrow, it’s time to wake up.” She whispered, and his eyes snapped open in shock as he felt himself falling. The ground vanished, and the snow drifts fell into an empty void with him, mouth open in a silent scream as he was suffocated by heat. Once more, like every other night, he felt unbearable pain flood through his body, and a voice dripping with poison whispered in his ear._

_“Wake up.”_

He awoke to darkness, lips parted in a silent gasp as he felt a shiver go down his spine. Quickly Qrow’s eyes scanned the darkness and the room. He was alone, the sheets to his left crumpled and pulled back. Once his eyes had adjusted to the darkness, he slowly stood up, hands fumbling around in the dark for his clothes, grabbing his pants first.

A soft sigh left his lips as he slowly pulled them on, listening carefully for the person who left his bed to come back. In his haste to get redressed, he knocked a vase off the nightstand, watching it hit the floor. It didn’t shatter upon impact, yet the noise was still loud. He went still, holding his breath as footsteps came from outside the closed door. He knew the sound too well, listening as the glass hit the stone floor. _Clink, clink, clink._

“And where do you think you’re going?” At the sound of her voice, he breathed again, trying to calm his racing heart. Kneeling to the ground, he slowly began to pick up the vase and the roses that had tumbled out when it hit the ground, putting it back on the nightstand. He could hear her approach and swallowed when her hands curled around his shoulder. “I don’t remember saying you could leave.”

“And the last time I checked, I’m not your slave.” He snarled, wincing as her nails dug into his skin. His hand reached for the vase he just set down, pulling from her grip and throwing the vase at her. She dodged it with ease, as if she was expecting him to throw it from the beginning, and approached with a smirk.

“But you are. You forget. As long as you sleep in my bed, as long as you come back here to me, I _own_ you.” She purred, a hand going to rest on his chest, missing it’s target as he pulled back. Her yellow eyes looked up to meet his, narrowing as a quiet fury settled in. “Why are you being disobedient, _pet?_ ”

“I’m not your pet.” Qrow growled, hands snatching the remaining clothing article. “Not anymore. I’m done with you.” As soon as the words left his mouth, she took a step back, eyes slightly wider in shock. “Don’t expect me to come back.”

“.. So you’ve made your choice.” Cinder watched him dress himself, staying where she was. “You’re really going to choose that old fool over me? Why? What does he have that I don’t?” Her eyes followed him to the door, where he stopped to look at her.

“.. A soul.” He snarled out before leaving the room, walking down the hall. He could feel the air burning with tension and her fury as he walked further and further away. He could feel Mercury and Emerald’s eyes focus on him as he shoved past them on his way to the door. Never again would he return. Never again would he dehumanize himself by sleeping with her.

Never again would Qrow be someone’s lapdog.

* * *

 

He wasn’t exactly sure when Crow Bar had become a frequent spot for him. Maybe it was after all this began. The sleeping with Cinder, the lies and the deceit to save himself. As he downed the remaining whiskey in his glass, he cherished the burn that filled his body for a brief moment, the amber liquid burning his throat. HIs eyes stared at the now empty glass, setting it down and listening to the ice clink against the glass. The sound brought back every moment he spent with Cinder and he gasped loudly, bracing himself as it flooded his mind. The burn of her hands as she promised to heal him, the poisoned and deadly lies that she whispered to him in darkness, every action she had ever done to damn and corrupt his soul flooded his mind again.

“You alright there, buddy?” The sound of the bartender’s voice snapped him out of his flashback, panting and in a cold sweat. He could feel curious gazes fixed on him, meeting up to look at the bartender’s concerned expression. “I-”

“He’s fine.” A gentle voice spoke behind him, a hand resting on his shoulder that had a touch to match her tone. Slowly, his head turned and he saw her standing there. His mouth went dry for a second as she stood there with a gentle look on her face. “But I should get him home. He’s not feeling very well.” Winter looked at him and smiled.

The bartender gave a nod, Qrow paying his tab quickly and trying to stand up. He was still unsteady after the sudden flashback, yet she steadied and supported him on her shoulder. “Take it easy, pal. Can’t lose one of my best customers.”

Qrow didn’t react much to the joke from the bartender, listening to Winter’s soft voice. “Let’s go.” Slowly, he started walking with her help, managing to get away from the bar. After a while of walking with her support, they came upon a bench and stopped.

“Are you okay?” She helped him sit, taking the seat next to him. “Do you need water?” He noticed how she didn’t overload him with questions, her eyes focused on his face.

“.. I’m fine.” He groaned, sitting up, her hands steadying him as he did. He was thankful she showed up when she did; he wasn’t sure if he could handle coming out of his flashback alone. “How did you know? That I was having a flashback?”

Winter paused, pulling a handkerchief from her pocket and wiping the sweat away from his face. “You’re not the only one to experience abuse.” She said at last, the cloth gently dabbing at his forehead. He got a better look at the woman taking care of him now than he did the night he met her for the first time. “I had a difficult childhood.” She admitted under a hushed tone.

Qrow sat up, now somewhat recovered from his flashback, meeting her eyes. “.. You too?” Her teal eyes were filled with tears at the memory and he brought a hand up to her face, gently brushing them away with his thumb. “I didn’t exactly have the best dad in the world.” He confessed, bringing his other hand up to her face and repeating the action with her other eye. “He was drunk all the time, yelled at my mother and hit her more times than I can remember. My sister wasn’t exactly the best either. She wasn’t abusive but.. She wasn’t there. Emotionally, it was like she was dead inside.”

“Qrow..” Winter spoke, bringing her own hand on his cheek. “You don’t have to tell me.” From the way her gloved hand wiped at his own face and the sudden wetness on his cheeks, he could tell he had been crying as well. “I understand.” From the tone in her voice and the gentle expression, he could tell she meant it. Slowly he leaned his head forward, resting his forehead against hers.

It was a short moment of intimacy, Qrow savoring every moment they spent like that, her chest rising and falling in almost perfect sync with his. He could hear a throat clear behind them and broke the contact with Winter, look at the source.

“General Ironwood!” Winter stood up from the bench, immediately going into parade rest. “I-I didn’t hear you approach, sir-”  
  
“Schnee.” He looked at her with narrowed eyes. “We will talk about this later. I need to speak with Qrow. Alone.” She stood there for a moment before swallowing and saluting him. Qrow watched her go, before his eyes focused back on the general.  
  
“Yes, Jimmy?” He smirked, teasing the general with his tone of voice, though that dropped immediately the moment Ironwood’s own tone lowered into an aggressive one.

“Stay away from my specialist. She’s here on a mission to do what you couldn’t.” He threatened and Qrow stood up, leveling himself with the general and gave him a scowl. “So unless you want her to get hurt, you will stay away from her and let her do her job. Got it, Branwen?”

  
The two men held their stares for a while, a growl building in Qrow’s throat as he relaxed, and smirked. “You have my word, _Jimmy._ ”

With that, the general straightened up, adjusting his tie. “Good.” As he turned, walking away, Qrow’s mind drifted back to the moment before Ironwood interrupted. He wondered if he could follow her and get that lost moment back. Another glance up at Ironwood walking away from him gave him his answer, and he left the bench, going to find Winter.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> trigger warnings for:  
> abuse implied  
> minor verbal and physical abuse

Ironwood’s words still rang through his head, looping over and over as he stumbled through a crowd of students. They were all standing around, talking about the recent match, but he was only focused on getting to the parked airship with blue banners. Eventually, he made it through the crowd, spotting the woman he was looking for standing outside her ship. With a smirk, he staggered over to her, an arrogant sway in his step.

Her back was to him, making him stop in his tracks as he stared. As he did, his mind slowly drifted back to the woman he could never make out in his nightmares. The one who he thought of the first time he met Winter. It was now, with the light from the sun setting reflecting off her that he knew. Now it was clear to him who the woman in white was. Who the woman with the cool hands and the gentle voice was.

“It’s you.” His voice was soft, but it still caught her attention, slowly turning to meet his eyes. There was a curious look on her face, head tilting slightly. Slowly he dragged his feet forward, the arrogant sway gone from his walk.

“What’s me?” She asked him, before one hand came to rest on her cheek. A soft gasp left Winter’s lips as the other did the same. “Qrow..”  
  
“It’s you.” He mumbled again, leaning in slightly. “It was _always_ you.” He could feel her hands come up to rest on his shoulders and slowly he brought one hand down, resting it on her hip. Pressed up against her body, he could tell why he was attracted to her the moment she first walked in the door.

Cinder was fire. Dangerous, with a fierce smoldering gaze, leaving destruction behind. She was unpredictable, her flames engulfing him and suffocating him with every moment he spent with her. Her eyes were flames and her lips left his smoldering every time they touched.

But Winter.. She was snow. Just as dangerous and unpredictable as fire, but she was cool, with a calm, gentle gaze. As his eyes met hers, he felt his breath hitch in his throat, slowly leaning forward to rest his forehead on hers. He figured if he met her halfway, she’d do the rest.

Her eyes left his for a brief second, flickering down to his lips, before meeting his again. The tiny smile that graced her face melted his heart. It was rare to see a genuine smile from her, considering he spent the past few days subject to her taunting smirks. As he processed the smile she gave him, the feeling of soft, sugary lips on his jolted him out of his thoughts and back into reality. It slowly began to process in his mind that she was kissing him and he should kiss back.

By the time the thought had processed in Qrow’s mind, she was starting to pull back, and he grabbed her by her hips and pulled her back into the kiss, kissing her with a passion that he only had when he fought. He could feel a spark in her, waiting calmly to ignite.

The more he kissed her, the more he realized that she wasn’t just ice. She was fire as well. But unlike Cinder, who was uncontrollable and destructive, she was life and tame. Cinder was a wildfire out of control. Winter was a fire in the fireplace, gently roaring. He had only known fire as destruction through Cinder, but through Winter he now saw it was something else. Life.

She pulled back from the kiss, looking up at him with a smile, her hand coming up to his cheek. “Not that I’m complaining.. But what exactly is this all about, Qrow?”

Qrow hesitated, unsure if he should tell Winter about his dreams. They were cryptic and confusing, leaving him in a cold sweat when he awoke from them. He hadn’t told anyone about them, not even Ozpin who Qrow trusted more than he trusted himself. Slowly he lowered his hands from her hips, taking a deep breath. “Winter.” He started, taking her hands in his and staring her in the eyes.

“I have something important to tell you.”

* * *

 

“So you’ve been having dreams about me?” Winter set her teacup down, meeting Qrow’s gaze. Quickly, his eyes flickered away and he gripped the mug in his hands. Her hand reached over and rested on top of his, giving a soft smile he couldn’t see. “Qrow.. Look at me.”

Slowly, he turned his gaze back to her, his eyes slowly focusing on her through his blurred vision. “I know it’s creepy, but-”

“It’s not creepy.” Before he could continue, she interrupted him. “Maybe a little bit, but maybe they’re trying to tell you something. You’ve been having them before you met me, right?” Slowly, he began to nod.  
  
“They started shortly after Cinder…” His voice trailed off, gripping the mug tighter than he already was, swallowing. “After Cinder.. happened.”

“Maybe they’re trying to tell you something. The thing about dreams is that they’ve always been mysterious. Sometimes they help you relive the past, sometimes you get to live the future. And sometimes they try to tell you something.” Her hand left his, coming up to his shoulder. “You should tell Ozpin.”

“I thought about it.” He mumbled, setting the mug down and letting out a sigh. “But what if he thinks I’m insane?”

“He won’t.” She smiled at him, pulling her hand back from his shoulder and leaning to rest her head there. “Ozpin’s a wise man. I have a feeling there’s things he’s seen that we haven’t.”

He swallowed, looking at her. “You don’t know the half of it. Ozpin’s.. something special. I owe the man my life.”

“Literally or metaphorically?” Winter smiled at Qrow and he let out a soft chuckle.

“Metaphorically, of course. I would do a lot for the man. That’s why I suffered with Cinder for so long.” At the mention of Cinder, his smile fell and his eyes went back down to the ground. “.. She was horrible.”  
  
“But she’s gone now.” He could hear her shuffle off the couch and onto the coffee table in front of him. “You’re safe from her.” Slowly she lifted his head and met his eyes. “And if she came here, I won’t let her get you.” Slowly, she leaned in slightly, lips parted. A smile replaced the frown on his face as he met her halfway, eyes closing at her cool lips on his. It didn’t last long like the first kiss, but it was still sweet.

“What does this make us, Qrow?” She gasped softly, eyes opening to look at his.

“.. I was hoping this makes us together.” He smiled, taking her hand in his. “If that’s okay with you.”  
  
A smile returned on her face as she nodded, leaning forward to rest her head on his. “Yes. I would like that a lot.”

At her answer, he grinned and rested his wandering hands on her hips with a soft sigh. Suddenly all that tension between them melted away and turned into something new and warm. It was a strange feeling to him, unfamiliar, but it wasn’t a bad feeling either. It made him feel alive and reborn, like his sins had been washed away and his soul was saved from damnation.

“Good.”

* * *

 

Alabaster nimble fingers picked up the broken shards of glass that littered the floor. With a fire in her eyes and a growl in her throat, Cinder discarded the shards from the vase Qrow had broken when he left. He was right about the lacking a soul thing. She never cared much for anyone except herself. All she cared about was power. But now with Qrow gone and her identity revealed to those fools, her power and control was weakening.

Even with some of the Fall Maiden’s powers flowing through her veins, it wasn’t enough. She needed more than just the Maiden’s powers. She needed control, she needed to be feared.

At last, Cinder finished cleaning the mess on the floor and stood up. Footsteps approached the door and she turned to look at who had approached. The roaring blaze in her eyes settled to a smolder as Emerald stood there, waiting to be addressed.

“Yes? What is it?” She turned around to look at the smaller female who swallowed and lowered her head in fear and submission.

“We found him. But you’re not going to like where he was-”

“What I don’t like are your cryptic games, Emerald. Where is he?” She approached, lifting Emerald’s chin with her eyes narrowed at the other female.

“.. He’s with the older Schnee, Winter. Mercury saw him leaving a bar with her and then spotted him heading to her ship.” Vermillion eyes flickered down and she swallowed nervously.

“And?” Cinder’s grip on her chin tightened. “There’s more that you’re not telling me.”  
  
“He kissed her.” She mumbled and Cinder let go of her chin. “B-But I don’t see why that matters. Y-you didn’t even like hi-”   
  
“SILENCE!” Cinder’s tempered flared at Emerald’s stammering and the room became hot much like the flames crawling on the floor. “Does it matter what I feel about him? Of course not. The only thing that matters in this world is power. Do you understand me?”

“Y-yes ma’am.” Emerald swallowed and looked at her feet again. “I understand.”

“Good.” The flames slowly died down, as did the sudden change in temperature as Cinder approached her bed. “People fear power, Emerald. That’s an important lesson.” With a smirk, she kneeled down, pulling a box out from under her bed.

Instead of replying to what Cinder said, Emerald gave a curious look over her shoulder, her eyes widening slightly at what she saw. “You’re not thinking..?”  
  
“Oh yes. I’m thinking it’s time to pay a little visit to this Winter Schnee.”


End file.
